Car-coupling



A. H. ARMSTRONG.

(No Model.)

GAR COUPLING.

No. 274,893 Patented :Apr.3. 1883.

N PETERS, HM Lmw n v-Qr. Wahinkmn. n. c.

iINITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR H. ARMSTRONG, OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 274,893, dated April 3,1883.

l l Application filedJanuary 4,1883. (Nomodeh) T all whom it may concernBeitknown that I, ARTHUR. H. ARMSTRONG,

of Plainville, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Gar-Conn, lings, ofwhich the followingisaspecification.

My invention relates toimprovements in automatic car-couplings; and theobjects of my invention are cheapness of construction, convenience andefiiciency in its operation, even when there is considerable variationin the heightof two adjoining cars, and to produce a coupling which canbe used with the ordinary link and pin, and which may be readily coupledto a car having the ordinary linkand-pin coupling. I attain theseobjects by the simple construction illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my coupling. Fig. 2is a central vertical section of the same without the link, the plane ofsection being indicated on line at w of Fig. 3; and Fig. 3 is a partialplan and partial section of the same on line 3 of Fig. 1.

Adesignates the main head, which may be rigidly attached to the car bymeans of its shank a, or in any proper manner; or,if desired, its shankmay be of any suitable form and-length, and hung to the car,'so as tohave a swinging movement, as in many prior couplings; but my peculiarconstruction renders such movement of the main head A unneces- 'sary.This main head A is substantially in box form, open at the end, andwithin its chamber the supplementary head B is hung to swing verticallyon trunnions b b, which rest in the slotted walls of the main head. Thishead B is sohung that the inner end, 0, is held down by gravity, andwhen in its normal position rests upon the ledge or flange d of the mainhead, as shown in Fig. 2, while said inner end and the chamber in whichit plays are so proportioned in size that the hopper-mouthed outer end,0, may be forced downward, substantially as indicated by the brokenlines in Fig. 1.

As beforestated, the side walls of the main head A, in which thetrunnions b b rest, are slotted, by reason of which construction theouter end, 6, of the supplementary head may be raised into substantiallythe position indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2. In making fitted to sonearly conform to the link as to prevent the projecting end of said linkfrom dropping much, if any, below a level. The link-slot, however, iswide enough to give considerable lateral movement to said link.

The ordinary coupling-pin, g, is fitted in a vertical orifice throughthe head B, as shown. Just back of the pin g, in a suitable recess, isthe pin-holding lever h, which may be made either with or without thehandle 13, which extends through the inside of said head. This lever isheld by gravity in the positionin which it is represented in Fig.2, andits arm kcrosses the pin-hole, so that the pin 9 may be held up therebywhen there is no link in the coupling. Apart, n, of the lever h projectsinto the slot for the coupling-link.

In use the coupling upon one caris arranged with a link in it, as shownin Figs. 1 and 3, while the coupling on the car to be connectedtherewith is set with the pin held up by the pin-holding lever, as shownin Fig. 2. The cars are then brought together, when the ex} posed end ofthe link enters the hopper-mouthed end of the fellow-coupling and tipsthe supplementary heads to make them coincide, if they are not alreadyin the same plane,

and the end of the link strikes the lever h at of the way of the linkand out from under the pin y, when it falls into place and couples thecars. 1

I have herein described the side walls of the head as slotted, &c. butit is evident that the supplementary head may be slotted and trunnionsor a pin fixed in the main head may extend into or through said slot toproduce the same effect, and which modified construction I consider thefull equivalent of the-slotted walls and trunnions herein shown and de-'scribed. 1 a

It will readily be seen that the link fmay be used with any ordinarycoupling, and also that the ordinary link, if of a proper thickness,

may readily be used in my coupling.

I'am aware that prior patents show a carcoupling having a gravitatingpin-holding 1ever, which is withdrawn from the pin by the end of thelink as it enters the coupling; also,

that Patent No. 108,254, October 11, 1870,

shows link-supporting plates mounted to rock, as on a hinge, within themain head of a carcoupling, all of which prior art is hereby disclaimed.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of the ordinary coupling-pin,g, the main head, chambered as described, and the supplementary headhung therein, having the hopper-mouthed outer end, 0, which projectsbeyond the end of the main head, and provided with the verticalpin-holding orifice, the whole so combined that the sup plementary headwith the coupling-pin therein may rock on its trunnions toadjustitselfto a like coupling mounted ata different height,

substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the main head, the supplemental head hung thereinupon trunnions, and having the hopper-mouthed outer end, 0, and thegravitating pin-holding lever hung within the supplemental and rockinghead, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified. v

3. The combination of the main head, having slotted side walls and thesupplementary head hung upon trunnions within said walls

